Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

, ,

How the Nonprofit Honduras Hope Improves Lives in Honduras

Honduras HopeHonduras, bordering Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua in Central America, is one of the lowest-income nations in the Western Hemisphere. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), approximately 63% of Hondurans live in poverty or roughly two-thirds of the 10.6 million residents. In the country, 20% of children under the age of 5 face chronic malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, which lead to stunting and other developmental delays.

Economic instability and inflation, as well as political corruption and droughts exacerbated by inconsistent rainfall, worsened poverty in 2024, with climate instability intensifying issues related to food production and water access. Among those impacted, women, children, Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations appear to have been challenged the hardest. Environmental damage to the agricultural sector has placed particular pressure on rural communities and the marginalized populations that inhabit them.

About Honduras Hope

The organization, founded in 2001 by Reverend Bill Briggs, the coordinator, focuses on improving the lives of rural and indigenous populations in the San José and Plan Grande communities within the Department of Yoro. The nonprofit has a unique approach in which the board of directors works directly with “Patronatos,” or community councils, rather than arriving with a prescriptive aid solution.

As a 100% volunteer, nonprofit organization based in Franconia, NH, Honduras Hope improves lives through several trips to Honduras each year, working closely with local leaders to fundraise and kickstart initiatives. Such work acts as a complement to the organization’s own investments, which are fundraised through grassroots efforts, such as the concessions stand it ran on behalf of the Common Man food and restaurant chain at the Sandwich Fair in Sandwich, NH, in October 2025. The Borgen Project had the opportunity to speak with several board members at this event.

Briggs told The Borgen Project, “This is the third organization I’ve founded over the last 35 years,” all within Honduras. While all of his efforts have targeted the effects of poverty, Honduras Hope improves lives most effectively in the student population. The organization fights for children’s right to education. Briggs explained, “At the center of our organization and structure is the idea of hope – it’s in the name ‘Honduras Hope,’ after all.” This hope surrounds the work it does to propel disadvantaged students toward a path out of poverty.

How Does Honduras Hope Bring Hope to Students?

Briggs said that a central tenet of the speeches he regularly gives students is the phrase “si se puede,” or “yes you can.” The story of Dr. Cecile Lobo encapsulates how exactly Honduras Hope improves lives for students, empowering them with the idea that they can achieve their dreams by facilitating their education. With financial support from Honduras Hope, Lobo became the first Indigenous Tolupan doctor in Honduras.

Similarly, the organization established the San José boarding house for those unable to travel to school from rural mountain communities. After converting the home, which once belonged to a professional Honduran soccer player, Briggs explained that the nonprofit provided funding for school supplies and uniforms. It completed the project with the assistance of a residential supervisor to oversee the students and offer tutoring.

Girls’ Empowerment and Community Transformation

Kathy Swanson is a member of the Honduras Hope board of directors, serves on the Education Committee and leads both the Girls’ Empowerment Program and the Women’s Cooperative. She explained to The Borgen Project that at first, it was not expected of girls to attend secondary school or university or even to seek professional training. Cultural norms in the community resisted such action. Girls and women were instead expected to work within their communities.

However, Swanson’s belief that “girls have a right to dream, too” has been a guiding principle for Honduras Hope from the beginning. Since its work in Honduras, these community values have changed. Swanson recalled a transformative moment during her initial phase with Honduras Hope. During a meeting in which the committee faced significant resistance to sending young and adolescent girls to school, an older woman in the community stood up. The entire room fell silent as she explained that her hands, stained white down to the wrists, looked that way because they had spent nearly every day of her long life in starch. “She did not want her granddaughters to be cornered into that same life,” Swanson concluded.

This anecdote clearly moved Swanson and it also moved the community. They then paved the way for girls to seek their right to a different life. A 2023 newsletter detailed how Honduras Hope provided financial support to 34 students from Plan Grande to attend high school, with seven seniors on track to graduate. Furthermore, it reported that an average of 18 university students received scholarships each year to forge their path out of poverty. Additionally, 16 teenagers from San José and four mountain communities resided in the boarding house to attend high school in Yoro.

What Has Honduras Hope Done?

The organization funded two primary projects to completion. The first was the implementation of a new electrical program, which delivered electricity to Plan Grande near the end of 2023. Briggs noted that the program “was very tough to complete, politically,” given the widespread corruption in the nation. “At the end of the five-year project,” he said, “we are proud to say we covered the entire cost of installation.”

The second was the San José Water Project, a major milestone for the San José community, which previously had no means of accessing fresh water without long, arduous boat trips. It began nine months ago and was completed at the beginning of October 2025, a $60,000 initiative that now delivers water directly to the community. Briggs explained that navigating infrastructure across the 1.5 miles from the River Machigua to San José was very labor-intensive. However, the community rallied to complete it with financial support from Honduras Hope.

Additionally, Honduras Hope improves lives by implementing several other initiatives. For example, according to its 2023 newsletter, the Plan Grande nutrition program provided 69 preschoolers with nutritious, hot meals each week. For those unable to make the journey to the Community Center, the nonprofit purchased 200 broiler chicks for families to raise at home. Such work has been essential for those who otherwise don’t have the resources to eat.

– Shea Dickson

Shea is based in Newton, MA, USA and focuses on Good News, Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

,

Fighting Infant Mortality in Developing Countries

Infant Mortality in Developing CountriesInfant mortality in developing countries remains a significant issue, with complications due to premature birth being a leading cause. Though largely preventable, more than one-third of the 2.3 million newborn deaths in 2021 were due to preterm birth complications. Deaths occurring within the newborn period are also highly associated with diseases and infections contracted due to a lack of proper sanitation, quality care and necessary medical treatment. Countries worldwide have made progress in this area, although it has slowed in the last decade. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 64 countries will be unable to meet the SDG goal for eliminating preventable infant mortality by 2030 without quick action. However, innovations provide hope in tackling this issue.

Survival Rates in High and Low-Income Countries

The survival rate of newborns varies significantly by region, with a notable disparity between high and low-income countries. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia show the least favorable conditions for infant survival. In fact, these areas accounted for more than 80% of deaths in children under 5 in 2022, many being in the neonatal stage.

These disparities are especially significant for extremely premature infants born before 28 weeks. On the low end, these infants experience a 10% survival rate in developing nations, compared to a rate of more than 90% in parts of the developed world, according to BMC Pediatrics. Without specialty care provided in the newborn stage, surviving preterm babies also have a higher chance of developing lasting health issues and disabilities.

One of the biggest challenges facing health care systems in developing countries is inaccessibility to medical technology and equipment. Due to high costs, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of professionally trained personnel, health care facilities are often unable to implement advanced technologies and deliver life-saving care.

Finding Solutions: IncuNest

Incubators are an essential piece of medical technology used to keep ill and premature babies healthy during their first days of life, while they are vulnerable to fatal complications such as infection and temperature dysregulation. However, high-tech incubators generally cost anywhere from $1,500 to $35,000, an unrealistic investment for many hospitals with limited resources.

Led by Pablo Sanchez Bergasa, Medical Open World developed a medical technology solution made to prevent infant mortality in developing countries effectively.

They created IncuNest, a low-cost incubator which aims to save the lives of vulnerable infants born into environments that lack the resources to keep them healthy. Their incubators cost a fraction of the mainstream price at €350 per unit, making them far more economically accessible. Constructed to be lightweight and portable, they are easy to transport to areas where they are necessary the most, with minimal infrastructure necessary for operation.

Easier to Operate

IncuNest is also easier to operate in areas that struggle with accessing electricity. Being extremely energy efficient, one incubator requires a maximum of only 130 watts and can operate using unconventional energy sources, such as car batteries. With significantly fewer resources required to run the incubators, the technology remains effective, focusing on the most important functions, such as sanitary confinement and temperature and humidity control.

IncuNest is also an open source technology, meaning that their blueprints are fully accessible via the IncuNest website, allowing anyone to construct their own incubators locally. This approach to decentralizing medical technology shifts the focus from incubators being a product to being a tool for advancing human development and well-being. So far, IncuNest operates in more than 200 locations and saved the lives of 4,000 infants.

Looking Ahead

With less developed areas struggling to implement advanced healthcare technologies, IncuNest poses as a blueprint addressing this inequality. Through the creation of medical innovations that are easy to acquire and distribute, more communities gain access to life-saving care. In addition, decentralized approaches that encourage local construction allow for solutions to be adopted more easily. Bridging the gap between healthcare systems in high and low-income nations has no one solution and will require various systematic changes. However, finding ways to bring effective technologies to communities that need them most is an important piece in achieving greater equality and addressing infant mortality in developing countries.

– Quinlan Bohannon

Quinlan is based in Portland, OR, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

,

South Asian Truck Art: An Art Form of the Poor

asian truck artOne thing the region of South Asia is popular for is truck art. Streets are full of vibrant, colorful, and detailed trucks that are carrying a variety of exports and necessities. In fact, within these streets, it can sometimes be hard to find trucks that are not donned in this extravagant art style. What is especially interesting about this art form, is that it is one of the working class and poor people in the country, telling an interesting story about aesthetics and poverty.

Origins

Truck art started in the 1920s, “Bedford trucks came from Great Britain, plying all over the country, carting goods”. The individuals driving the trucks decided to dress their vehicles in bright patterns and images to represent  the “inspirations and imagination of the people at large, and they also show the close bond of the truck owner with his vehicle”. This gave birth to the concept of truck art, which now dons a majority of trucks in South Asia. The truck art still represents inspiring and important cultural or political images to the drivers.

Poverty Within the Asian Truck Art World

The countries that have the most truck art are also places with extremely high poverty rates. Pakistan, known for having intricately decorated trucks fill up the roads, has a poverty rate of 22%.

According to the working class people who paint the trucks, “people take up this profession not out of choice but out of necessity”. The trucks that have elaborate colors and images originate from these individuals in poverty who paint the trucks for the drivers. Within the world of poverty, aesthetics become a tool of making more of the living conditions inflicted upon them. “From clothes, accessories, decorative items, transport and housing, the aesthetic of the underprivileged is one that has to do with poverty. It is about making do with what is available, or something old and/or something used or even shabby.”

A Form of Hope

Although the drivers and painters are in conditions less than ideal, they use truck art to symbolize a hopeful outlook on life. Individuals interviewed had discussed how the images painted on trucks was not a reality of their lives, but instead their hopes. Despite living through conditions of poverty, truck art helps the workers involved – either through driving the truck or painting the art – hope for a different and better life. South Asian truck art is now popular worldwide for its beautiful and intricate designs, but what is not as popular is the art form’s origins of trying to improve one’s life through art and beauty when in poverty.

– Sara Tareen

Sara is based in San Jose, CA, USA and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

, ,

The Last Mile Against River Blindness in Cameroon

river blindness incameroonIn the rugged highlands of western Cameroon, a silent threat loomed for decades: Onchocerciasis or “river blindness.” Transmitted by the bite of blackflies breeding in fast-flowing rivers, the disease causes severe itching, skin changes and, in its most advanced form, irreversible blindness. For communities living along the valleys of the Meme and Mbam rivers, onchocerciasis did not just affect health; it hampered schooling, work and development in already impoverished areas.

Background

Cameroon has long been an endemic country for onchocerciasis. Indeed, a geospatial modelling study of Africa and Yemen estimated that, as of 2018, national-level infection prevalence in Cameroon exceeded 5% and in some focal regions was much higher.

In response, Cameroon launched community-directed treatment with ivermectin in 1996 under the World Health Organization’s African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control. After APOC ended in 2015, the country continued elimination activities through the WHO’s Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN), which now coordinates regional support.

Mass Drug Administration

At the heart of Cameroon’s strategy has been annual mass drug administration of ivermectin delivered through community-directed treatment. Over 15 years of campaigns in several districts have sharply reduced infection levels. In the Tombel Health District, for instance, after 15 consecutive years of treatment, microfilaria prevalence fell to 1.5% and nodule prevalence to 6%, indicating progress but not full interruption of transmission
Yet, remote mountain villages present persistent challenges. A 2024 study along the Cameroon–Chad border noted that onchocerciasis transmission remains ongoing despite decades of CDTI.

Localised vector habitats, seasonal migration of workers, and gaps in treatment coverage are among the underlying factors. A detailed study in the Meme River Basin highlighted how poverty, farming occupations, housing conditions and limited health seeking behaviour all hamper elimination efforts.

Community-Directed Distributors

Community health volunteers, called community-directed distributors (CDDs), carry the burden of delivering ivermectin and tracking treatments in hardscrabble terrain. But their efforts are constrained by low motivation, logistical bottlenecks and limited training. A qualitative study in three rural districts of Cameroon found that inadequate numbers of CDDs and weak understanding of the disease among health staff hamper progress.

Despite these challenges, when coverage is high and sustained, the health benefits are profound. People treated with ivermectin experience relief from itching, healing of skin lesions and prevention of visual impairment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Cameroon’s Meme River Basin, researchers also found that annual community-directed treatment improved productivity and reduced stigma around the disease.

The Future

Progress in Cameroon against river blindness shows how persistence pays off. National health authorities continue annual community-directed ivermectin campaigns with support from the WHO’s Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN). The country also participates in regional cross-border monitoring with Chad and Nigeria to track transmission and share data.

According to the WHO’s ESPEN program, several health districts in Cameroon have already transitioned to post-treatment surveillance after interrupting transmission, marking key milestones toward national elimination.

– Katie Williams

Katie is based in England, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

, ,

3 Organizations Defending Migrants’ Rights in Austria

migrants' rights in austriaAustria is a prosperous country with an enviable location at the epicenter of Central Europe. It calls seven countries its neighbor, so it is little wonder that the country experiences a significant migrant footfall. It also boasts one of the strongest social systems in Europe, meaning that support for unemployed, sick or injured people is generous in comparison to Austria’s European counterparts.

The country offers a bright outlook for many fleeing conflict or poverty. However, many migrants slip through bureaucratic cracks. Whether it is due to a lack of education, inability to speak the native language or legal setbacks when applying for work permits and residency documentation, many migrants find themselves in a legal gray zone that strips them of any meaningful way to make money and integrate into the country.

That is where organizations like Ikemba, Südwind and Megaphon come in. Armed with expertise in social integration, knowledge transfer and legal counsel, and access to invaluable resources, each works tirelessly to defend migrants’ rights in Austria, help them get a footing in the job market and secure a fulfilling future.

Ikemba

“We need humanity.” That is Ikemba’s resounding call on its homepage, and it is this philosophy that informs all the work it does in Graz’s underprivileged migrant communities. Its focus is on equipping migrants, low-threshold families and “hard-to-reach people” with skills that will increase their chances of a sustainable future.

A combination of social integration, help with language skills, cultural education and health support has seen Ikemba empower underrepresented communities. Courses include “Low-threshold A1 German courses for women” and “Empowerment communication course on the topic of ‘Health,’” among others. By offering this kind of education free of charge, Ikemba is one step closer to its vision: a society in which diversity is lived and valued. It is essential when it comes to fighting for migrants’ rights in Austria.

Südwind

While Südwind’s core focus is climate justice, the charity recognizes that this goes hand in hand with poverty and social inequality. Climate justice is innately connected to human rights and global sustainable development, which is why it fights for fair working conditions across every stage of international supply chains and campaigns for international solidarity and access to food and education for all.

It is no mean feat. Tackling all these major societal issues simultaneously takes a strong vision and an airtight strategy. The charity invests a significant portion of time in educational workshops that are carried out across the whole country ,the Südwind magazine and international PR campaigns that inform readers about climate justice and its impacts on migration and disadvantaged communities.

Megaphon

Taking a different approach to Südwind and Ikemba, Megaphon recognizes the bureaucratic challenges that many migrants face when in Austria. Its mission is to keep as many migrants as possible out of financial precarity by offering them the opportunity to sell its street magazine, Megaphon, without any work permits.

Offering an empowering alternative to begging on the street, Megaphon recognizes the legal battles that many migrants face in Austria and offers them legal counseling regarding visas, permits and residency. And while profits for the magazine are always welcome, the organization’s main objective is to get its vendors into meaningful and long-lasting jobs that secure a sustainable future for themselves and their families.

Looking Ahead

All three organizations are cornerstones of the social sector in Graz. Whether defending migrants’ rights in Austria by loudly taking to the streets to protest or quietly managing tedious paperwork that makes migrants’ lives easier, each proves how important such organizations are in lifting people out of poverty for the long term.

– Saroj Spickett

Saroj is based in Graz, Austria and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

, ,

The Sprawling Indian Slum Economy: Dharavi

The Sprawling Indian Slum Economy: Dharavi Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, is located in the heart of Mumbai. It is a symbol of urban poverty. Beneath the visual chaos and tightly packed lanes lies a highly functional Indian slum economy. This informal economy includes thousands of micro-enterprises such as leather workshops, recycling businesses and garment units, among many others. Offering employment to tens of thousands, this remarkable local economy generates an estimated $1 billion annually.

The Invisible Engine

Dharavi has thousands of small workshops and micro-enterprises. Many homes function as production units, producing goods such as leather products, textiles and jewelry, as well as niche items like plastic weaving, with some reportedly being exported. Although these claims cannot be fully verified through official documentation, word-of-mouth accounts suggest widespread trade activity. Some sources cite that there are upwards of 20,000 mini-manufacturing units with cumulative annual outputs close to $1 billion.

Margins of the Marketplace

While the Indian slum economy is flourishing, it also harbors limitations. Informality contributes to a lack of protection, precarious working conditions and exploitation. Most workers lack formal contracts and statutory benefits. Many face unsafe factory and construction conditions that can result in illness or even death, as safety measures are rarely enforced.

These problems have become part of a broader debate around redevelopment. Some advocates, such as Adani Group and its supporters, have cited poor working conditions as justification for redevelopment plans that could dismantle the existing economy and lifestyle.

Risks of Redevelopment

Redevelopment could, in theory, benefit the informal economy through formalization, safety measures and improved infrastructure. However, current plans—particularly the Adani Group’s redevelopment project—have raised significant concerns. According to the opposition government of India, the project appears to prioritize private gain over community welfare, with the potential to displace up to 700,000 people. Some alternative residential sites proposed by the government are located far from the existing economy and income sources of current residents.

Rahul Gandhi stated, “This government handed over Dharavi to Adani,” accusing it of “enriching cronies.” For many Dharavi vendors, the plan “has raised significant fears amongst residents over their livelihood, education and opportunities,” according to Land Conflict Watch. The industries that thrive here cannot be confined to traditional business models based on standardized land parcels or enclosed units without open yards or foot traffic access.

What Dharavi Needs

Dharavi does not need to be replaced—it has the potential to be part of India’s urban future. While redevelopment is often framed as a way to bring safety, order and opportunity, the current plans, particularly those led by private players like Adani, risk doing the opposite. The Dharavi Bachao Andolan (Save Dharavi Movement) fears that redevelopment could prioritize land acquisition over community welfare.

The informal economy here is not accidental but rather a functional system with a “thriving micro-economy” built on proximity, shared space and dense networks, according to a report by the Toda Peace Institute. For redevelopment to genuinely benefit this community, it must consider how residents already live and work. As Land Conflict Watch notes, the government’s decisions “indicate that the government is prioritising profits for [the] developer over the interests of Dharavi residents.”

If implemented inclusively, redevelopment could bring safer conditions, better infrastructure and stronger worker protections. However, that would require ensuring that residents are active participants in planning processes, as noted by Slum Dwellers International. This case highlights the importance of approaching informal economies through inclusion and collaboration rather than replacement.

Looking Ahead

Dharavi’s resilience shows that progress and preservation can coexist. With inclusive planning that safeguards jobs, strengthens safety and involves residents in decision-making, redevelopment can improve living conditions while protecting livelihoods. If done responsibly, Dharavi can stand as a model for community-driven urban renewal in India.

– Maryam Qutbuddin

Maryam is based in Reading, UK and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

, ,

“From Ground Zero”: Representation for Palestine

Representation for Palestine“From Ground Zero” is a compilation of 22 short films shot by the people of Gaza while undergoing hardships that are only imaginable, from forced displacement to poverty in terms of food and shelter to extreme violence. They are able to show the way their lives are affected only by being in a certain place at a certain time, as Rashid Mashrawi himself phrased it at the London premiere. This film not only portrays economic hardship in conflict zones but also empowers those directly involved and affected, both on screen and behind the scenes. “From Ground Zero” serves as a cultural tool of representation for Palestine to raise awareness, build morale among marginalized communities and inspire meaningful dialogue around solutions to poverty in conflict. The ways in which this can be seen on the ground are manifold.

The Depiction of Poverty in Context

The film portrays life in the Palestinian territories, where poverty is not only economic but deeply tied to displacement, instability and systemic oppression. As stated in a United Nations report, “Poverty in the State of Palestine is projected to rise to 74.3%, affecting 4.1 million people, including 2.61 million people who are newly impoverished.” The report goes on to state the increase of “multidimensional poverty” in Palestine during this time, especially in the areas of housing, services and safety, among others.

This film allows us to analyze, through its audio-visual portrayal of scenes that highlight daily struggles, the impact and outcomes of these newly imposed dimensions of poverty. This is especially evident in the short film “Hell’s Heaven,” in which the narrator is forced to sleep in a body bag to keep warm, where he questions why it should only be provided to him after his death. This highlights a drastic impoverishment and unavailability of access to basic needs, employment and dignity.

Empowerment Through Participation

Most of those involved in the production, including non-professional actors, are directly affected by poverty and conflict, including the director Rashid Mashrawi, many of whose family members are in Gaza. His main purpose for creating this film was representation for Palestine from Palestinians. As he states, “I want to share our stories with the world.”

The act of storytelling gave voice and agency to people often excluded from public narratives. Alongside the despair and devastation, there is also a parallel current of hope, which has been a central aspect of the project from its inception. Amid stories of death and destitution told with a raw documentary realism, emerge narrative shorts that reveal the ways Palestinians continue to seek moments of joy and humanity. One segment captures a puppeteer bringing laughter to young audiences through marionettes. These glimpses of creativity and resilience remind viewers that even in the darkest circumstances, art persists as both refuge and resistance.

His characterization of these people as humans and not statistics gives a sense of reality to the disaster and deprivation they are facing, helping to shed light on the destruction from a non-political perspective. Mashrawi wants “cinema [to] play a role for justice, for humanity,” which can be achieved by using the preservative and far-reaching nature of cinema to highlight current issues. Additionally, it also preserves these stories in history by giving them their due importance and platform, allowing them to speak for themselves and take advantage of the medium of cinema.

Relevance to Current Poverty Issues

As poverty and displacement continue globally, especially in areas of prolonged conflict, the film remains timely. Serving as an educational and motivational resource in community development programs, it uses the arts to foster resilience, making its importance relevant beyond immediate events.

In the current climate of growing poverty and mass unemployment in Gaza—where labor market conditions in the West Bank have also deteriorated significantly—at least 96% of businesses have reported decreased activity and more than 42% have reduced their workforce. More than 300,000 jobs have been lost, pushing unemployment rates from 12.9% in 2023 to 32%. This represents a daily loss of $25.5 million in labor income, eroding the economic resilience of Palestinian households and deepening social hardship.

The scale of this loss reflects not only a financial crisis but also the diminishing sense of security and stability that underpins community life. It further emphasizes the importance of films like “From Ground Zero” in fostering hope and solidarity amid devastation—a symbol of representation for Palestine, especially for those directly and visibly affected every day.

Looking Ahead

“From Ground Zero” is not just a film—it is a platform for dignity, resistance and dialogue. By focusing on real experiences and empowering the impoverished through storytelling, Mashrawi’s work has become a tool for morale-building and advocating systemic change. It takes the viewer away from the political, as is prevalent in most dialogue surrounding Palestine, and focuses on the everyday problems like scarcity, poverty and violence faced by those on the ground.

As such, the film becomes a catalyst for awareness and change, opening up discussions around structural reform, aid and the importance of including marginalized voices in policy and media. Mashrawi is currently working on the follow-up “From Ground Zero Plus,” a series of 10 documentaries as representation for Palestine, where he hopes to present more stories and continue his legacy of spreading awareness for real people in crisis.

– Maryam Qutbuddin

Maryam is based in Reading, UK and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

,

School Meals Fighting Child Poverty in Cyprus

Child Poverty in CyprusCyprus is an island-state in the north-eastern end of the East Mediterranean area, the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa. Cyprus has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and with the EU’s help, it provides school meals for children affected by poverty.

Equality Through Food

According to the 2024 report, Cyprus links the constitutional right to equal education opportunities for every child with food inequality. Minimum one subsidized meal per day is a guarantee under the Declaration Combating Child Poverty by Leaving No Child Behind, which the country signed. The country recognizes a meal as a pillar of equality and inclusion for pupils in need.

The report states: “In 2021, only 0.6% of children under 16 who were at ‘Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion’ experienced deprivation due to household financial difficulties in having one meal a day of meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent meal.” It may seem that child poverty in Cyprus is not a significant problem; however, it still affects the quality of life and education for some students.

Free school meals help bridge the gap and consequently eradicate the problem of food inequality at school and child poverty in Cyprus in this particular aspect.

Free Breakfast Program

The “Providing Free Breakfast to Pupils in Need” program started in 2013. It is currently implemented by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth as part of the European Union’s THALEIA 2021-2027 project, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus, which covers 90% of the costs.

Its goal is to support families at risk of poverty and exclusion and to ensure equal educational opportunities for all children, as well as provide them with adequate nutrition and social support.

Pupils in need are children from low-income families. The program provides free breakfast on every school day for the duration of the school year in public schools at all levels of education. In the school year 2022-2023 there were 14,502 pupils who benefited from the program.

Extending the Support

The government plans to extend the program of free meals for pupils starting in April 2026 to further address child poverty in Cyprus. The scheme is to create free breakfast clubs in primary schools for every student. Currently, 750 schools participate in the meal clubs, and an additional 2000 plan to enroll next year.

The investment in the program is estimated at £80 million. Its goal is to support parents and children and to ensure that every pupil has an equal start to the school day, therefore an equal chance to participate in education.

– Patrycja Pietrzak

Patrycja is based in Cyprus and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

,

Zimbabwe’s Blueberry Industry Signal a Healthier Future

Zimbabwe’s BlueberryZimbabweans have endured economic hardship over the past two decades, owing to a series of economic shocks and severe hyperinflation that have crippled livelihoods and income. Consequently, just under 10 million Zimbabweans live on less than $4.20 a day in an economy deeply susceptible to climate shocks due to its dependence on agriculture.

However, geopolitical relations and community-based projects have paved the way for a potential solution to help alleviate poverty—blueberries. Zimbabwe’s blueberry industry is becoming an increasingly prevalent market, helping to provide domestic relief and boost international trade as the country embarks on a long journey toward stability.

Zimbabwe Embracing Horticulture

Long reliant on tobacco exports, Zimbabwe is now looking to diversify its agricultural output, and blueberries have emerged as a promising and potentially lucrative product. Crucial to this development are ongoing talks with China, the world’s largest importer of the fruit, which could help Zimbabwe strengthen its position in the blueberry market currently led by Peru.

Gaining access to China’s lucrative market would help capitalize on Zimbabwe’s positive trajectory in horticulture, a trend that saw blueberry exports increase by 13% despite the presence of El Niño hindering economic growth. This growth is modest compared to future projections. Zimbabwe’s blueberry production is expected to rise by 50%, and this domestic expansion, combined with growing international markets, offers hope to local communities that this renewed interest in horticulture can improve food security and provide vital sources of employment.

Importance of Local Produce

While international trade deals will help boost macroeconomic stability in a nation facing stagnant growth and debt issues, job creation within the blueberry sector is equally significant. The industry creates approximately 6,000 jobs, most of them held by women who are increasingly becoming the main earners in their households. The sector also provides opportunities for young farmers, as more farm managers recruit trainees focused on blueberry production—creating employment in communities that disproportionately suffer from Zimbabwe’s high unemployment rate.

Zimbabwe’s poverty reduction strategy has been hindered by an overreliance on low-productivity agriculture, a sector further strained by climate events such as El Niño. The phenomenon caused a severe drought and left up to 7.6 million Zimbabweans at risk of acute hunger, yet the continued growth of blueberries during this crisis period highlights their potential to transform the country’s low-production agricultural cycle.

While the government lacks a funding framework that effectively supports people suffering from food insecurity, agri-entrepreneurs have stepped in to fill the gap. Admire Moyo developed the Goho learning app for young farmers, providing e-learning resources on climate resilience to help combat the effects of climate change. The app offers real-time updates on prices in central fruit and vegetable markets and helps farmers adapt to economic and climate shocks—factors that have indirectly fostered growth in blueberry production.

Looking Forward

The target for Zimbabwean farmers is to reach 30,000 tons of blueberry production by 2030, aiming to capitalize on the lucrative Chinese market. While the current trajectory is promising, insufficient funding structures risk undermining the progress of Zimbabwean farms working to alleviate local poverty through improved food security and employment opportunities.

– Oscar McClintock

Oscar is based in Cambridge, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

, ,

WHO’s EIOS 2.0 Brings AI to Early Outbreak Detection

EIOSThe World Health Organization (WHO) launched an upgrade to its Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) in October 2025. Smarter and more inclusive, WHO’s EIOS 2.0 is expected to considerably amplify the early warning system’s capabilities. The goal is to prevent or reduce the number and degree of public health emergencies.

Like its predecessor, EIOS 2.0 is a sophisticated web-based interface that sifts through readily available information from various sources, including media, social platforms, official government websites, news sites and other sources. It analyzes the data obtained to identify clues that point toward the possible spread of contagious diseases or public health threats. According to a press release, as of October 2025, 110 nations have joined the initiative.

Ways EIOS 2.0 Benefits Low- And Middle-Income Countries

  • Free Access: Member nations and eligible organizations can utilize the WHO’s outbreak detection tool. This is the same technology high-income countries enjoy, at no charge.
  • Preventing Economic Fallout: Pandemics impose a heavy burden on families and societies. During the COVID-19 emergency, an estimated 70 million people around the world fell into extreme poverty.
  • Minimizing Loss of Life: A model studying the health emergency that led to the COVID-19 pandemic estimated that up to 35% of the deaths in Wuhan, China, might have been avoided had steps to control the disease’s spread been taken one week earlier. In other cities, 50% of those who perished might have been saved.
  • Interface Translations: EIOS 2.0 is now available in multiple languages, increasing accessibility for users with limited English proficiency.
  • Semantic Search: Keyword search is now smarter as the system identifies context and intended meaning.
  • Radio Sources: Enabling a speech-to-text feature allows EIOS 2.0 to investigate radio communications. This could potentially catch information that may not have been otherwise captured, particularly in more vulnerable areas.

Does Epidemic Intelligence Work?

Africa experiences the highest number of health emergencies each year. Indeed, as of November 2023, there were 130 active outbreaks across the continent. In the same year, an evaluation of the EIOS system showed that in 22 countries, 50% of health events were detected before national announcements or official WHO communications.

WHO studies show that in countries using EIOS, the median time between the first detected health event and notification to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) or WHO dropped from 14 days to 11. In fact, it was the EIOS system that first detected a “pneumonia” outbreak in Wuhan, China, in 2019.

One example is the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), which utilized the EIOS system between June and October 2023 to detect 425 events. These mainly included mpox and dengue fever. Eight of these events were identified before official declarations, on average, 20 days earlier. In Brazil, an event involving Haff disease was identified and tracked in 2022.

EIOS 2.0’s Promise for Inclusive Global Health Preparedness

In its first iteration of EIOS, WHO demonstrated the advantages of using an intelligent agent that can filter through hundreds of thousands of data sources and discern the likelihood of a health emergency in real-time. Indeed, with EIOS 2.0’s new features, AI capabilities and interface, more regions around the world can benefit from a free-to-use system that can strengthen existing pipelines. With earlier warnings, health authorities can take immediate measures to prevent catastrophic pandemics like those that have sunk millions of people deeper into poverty.

– Johanna Lorena Arredondo Gonzalez

Johanna is based in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels